Joe, I'm allowed to use the term 'cafeteria Catholic' because I
am (or was not sure which) one.

I'll see your 12 years of Catholic Education, and raise you
a degree in religious studies, a job as a Youth Minister,
a whole lot of time as a liturgy planner and music minister,
candidacy for a religious order, work at a retreat house, etc.

I guess I'm a bit more jaded than a 'faithful Catholic' after having
spent a good deal of my time since the year 2000 advocating for
survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Go to the National Catholic
Reporter and look up my Op-Ed and letters to the editor there.

I'm not as militant as most members of SNAP (the Survivors Network
of those Abused by Priests). Still, I have to say that I have
yet to see a bishop of the church of Rome do the right thing as
regards these survivors.

Now the whole argument about 'other guys than priests do it' is
specious, and worthy of William Donohue of the Catholic League.
It was a FAR bigger problem in the Catholic Clergy than in the
general population, and a FAR bigger problem than the 2% numbers
indicate. Hell, in my own anecdotal experience before my turning
advocate, it was WAY more than 2%.

The current solution is to banish an offender from society and find
a deep pocket that will pay the victim a million dollars. Does the new
solution work any better than the old? Should the members of my parish
have to cough up a million dollars to make reparation for an offense
some priest committed thirty years ago? Is it immoral for a bishop to
attempt to get off paying $25,000 instead of a million bucks in
reparations that won't heal the victim anyhow?

Typical response from a pew sitter who hasn't bothered to learn
the issues.

First of all the Church systematically cajoled, threatened
and badgered victims into silence. When they bothered to acknowledge
them at all. Furthermore, they manipulated local (disproportionately
Catholic) law enforcement into inaction. Those settlements you
mentioned? They all came with a 'gag' provision that bought silence.

There are a couple of reasons for the six figure (a million is rare)
settlements. First, the final proceeds following attorney fees are
real. When you add up everything from lost marriages to lost jobs
failed 401K contributions, therapy costs, etc., the way our society
deals with it is to put a monetary value on it. Yes, the lawyers
did well. That's the way our tort system works, in Amerika. That's
the only way the little guy gets represented.

The second reason is to send a message. Knock this shit off,
Your Excellency. Again, that's how Amerika works.

Finally, it really is none of your damn business to judge whether
the 'million bucks' will heal the victim or not. Especially when
you haven't spent any time with them. Believe me, it does make a
difference, because it represents something substantive. It hurts.
It's hurt that makes up for the hurt that was inflicted on them.
It says they don't have to be a 'nice, quiet, little, Christian
forgiveness victim' any more.

Most discarded the idea of 'Christian forgiveness' some time after
their priest raped them anyways. What's the price on that loss?

So let's see--- the priests disagree with the anti-abortion
grandstanding, the nuns do too, as does the laity. But it goes on
and on. What's wrong with this picture?

I don't think the Ecumenical Catholic Communion folk have abandoned
their church. They've reclaimed it. Hell, I don't think a Catholic
who's moved to a Unitarian Universalist congregation has abandoned
his church...he's widened it!